Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, January 19, 1995                   TAG: 9501190098
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THEY REALLY DO MARCH IN LOCKSTEP

Security and inventory-monitoring robots made by a Salem company could save the U.S. military millions of dollars, an Army study has concluded.

As a result of the recent study, Cybermotion Mobile Robotic Systems expects to land a potential $10.5 million government contract for the delivery of 105 robots beginning in mid-1996, company president John Holland said Wednesday.

Cybermotion has developed a robot for the Army's Mobile Detection Assessment and Response System program. The machine is used to perform security patrols and monitor the inventory inside military warehouses. Another company is developing a robotic security system under supervision of the Navy for use outdoors

Based on an evaluation of Cybermotion's robot at the government's Camp Elliott warehouse complex near San Diego, the Army has concluded that robotic security and inventory systems could save more than $400 million over 10 years.

The robot for use inside buildings is based on a souped-up version of a commercial security robot made by Cybermotion and used at pharmaceutical firms, museums, office buildings and nuclear facilities around the country.

Holland said he is confident of winning the bidding for the installation phase of the military's robotic security system, scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 1996, because his company is the only one now making the robots.

Initially, five robots will be installed to see how they perform in the hands of soldiers. If that trial goes well, the remaining 100 in the first-phase order will be built, Holland said.

That would mean an expansion of the company's Salem operation and an addition to the company's 14-employee work force, he said. In all, the Defense Logistics Agency has estimated it could use more than 300 of the robots, Holland said.

Cybermotion already has landed a contract to develop additional technology for the security robots. The company won a Department of Energy contract and two Defense Department contracts last year totaling $1.1 million, Holland said.

Even without the government contracts, Cybermotion is seeing an increase in its annual commercial sales, Holland said. The company's shipments last year totaled $1.3 million and none of that came from the new contracts, he said. The company tries to keep its commercial sales at one-half to three-fifths of total sales.

Sales last year were up 30 percent and the company made an annual profit for only the second time in its 10-year history, Holland said. The company expects sales to increase at least that much this year, he said.

Cybermotion recently introduced a new version of its mobile robotic base, the first new model in 10 years. The K3A operates on six wheels; it succeeds the three-wheeled model K2A.

The K3A's legs are shorter and the wheels are hidden more under the base, giving it more stability and the ability to pass along a 36-inch aisle, turn completely around and return, Holland said.